Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-05-13
NO. 10.


The following good advice is given by DR..
Benjamin Ward Richardson The rules for
the prevention Of senile diseases are all
personal. They should begin in youth 1t
should be a rule among grown up persons
never TO subject children to mental shocks
and unnecessary grief. When, in the sur
rounding of child life, some grave calami-
ty has occurred, it is best to make the
event as light as possible TO the child, and
certainly 10 avoid thrilling it with sights
and details which stir it to the utmost and
in the end only leave upon the mind and
heart ipcurable wounds and expressions
Child should never be taken to funerals,
nor sights that cause a sense of fear and
dread combined with great grief, nor to
sights which call forth pain or agony in
man or the lower animals.
To avoid premature old age in mature
life, the following are important points to
remember
Grief anticipates age. Dwelling on the
inevitable past, forming vain hypothesis
as to what might have been if that or this
had happened acquiring a craze for re
counting what has occurred-these acts do
more harm TO future health and effort than
many things connected with real calamity
Occupation and new pursuits are the best
preventives for mental shock and bereave-
ment
Hate anticipates age. Hate keeps the
heart always at full tension. 1t gives rise
to oppression of the brain and senses 1t
confuses the whole man. It robs the stom-
ach of nervous power and digestion being
impaired, the failure of life begins at once.
Those, therefore who are born with this
passion-and good many l fear are
should give it up.
Jealousy anticipates age. The facial ex-
preston of jealousy is old age in however
young a face it may be cast. Jealousy
preys upon and kills the heart. So jealous
men are not only unhappy, but broken
hearted, and live short lives have new
er known a man of jealous nature live any
thing like a long or a useful life. The pre-
vention of jealousy is diversion of mind
| toward useful and unselish work
| Unchastity anticipates age. Everything
] that interferes with chastity favors vital
deterioration, while the grosser departure
| from chastity, leading to specific and hered-
/ itary diseases, are certain causes of organic
| degeneration and premature old age. Thus
chastity is preventive of senile decay.
ntemperance anticipates age. The more
social causes of mental and physical organ
/ ic diseases are investigated, the more close
/ ~ the origin Of degeneratve organic
]
and decay are questioned, the more closely
/ does it come out that intemperance. often
not suspected by the person himself who is
| implicated in it, SO subtle is its influence is
at the root of evil.
When old age has really commenced, its
march toward final decay is best delayed
| by attention to those rules of conservation
/ by which life is sustained with the least
friction and the least waste.
The prime rules for this purpose are
To subsist on light but nutritious diet,
with milk as the standard food, but varied
according 10 season.
To take food in moderate quantity four
times in the day, including light meal be
fore going to bed.
To clothe warmly, but lightly, so that
the body may in all seasons maintain an
equal temperature.
To keep the body in fair exercise and the
mind active and cheerful.
To maintain an interest in what is going
on in the world, and to take part in
reasonable labors and pleasures, as though
old age were not present.
To take plenty of sleep during sleeping
hours, to spend nine hours in bed at the least,
and to take care during cold weather that
the temperature of the bedroom is main
tanned at go Fahrenheit
To avoid passion, excitement, luxury.